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Dublin Bay Boating News and Information

Displaying items by tag: Great Island

Cork Harbour has lost a sailing club, which is actually good news for the sport.

If that seems questionable statement, it is not because it brings back together the members of Cove Sailing Club and the Great Island Sailing Club, after a split over ‘differences of attitude and opinion’ as they were described, which occurred due to difficulties in the development of the club’s marina at Whitepoint, just outside the town.

As a result, members who left Cove SC in 2018 set up Great Island Sailing Club to protect and continue, they said, sailing in Cobh. (The club name is spelt differently from the town name).

As the marina project as being progressing satisfactorily and now installation is underway, negotiations between the clubs have been going on. With a positive outcome, Great Island Sailing Club held an EGM to discuss re-joining Cove Sailing Club and a motion to do so was passed unanimously.

“We are looking forward to having a stronger bigger club in Cork Harbour and are very excited with plans for the 2020 season,” said Johanna Murphy, GISC’s Commodore. She confirmed that GISC no longer exists and its members have rejoined Cove SC.

A joint statement from the two clubs said that Cove SC, which celebrated its centenary last year, will continue the Cork Harbour Combined League, which GISC was instrumental in initiating for Cruisers along with the RCYC and Monkstown Bay SC. The Cork Harbour to Dunmore East Race, which was inaugurated last year, will be run by Cove SC at the end of May. It will also be running club events such as the Cove at Home, Cobh People’s Regatta and the Cobh to Blackrock Race.

“The rejuvenated evening dinghy racing will continue this year on Wednesdays throughout the summer as well as the continuation of junior dinghy training. We are also pleased to be hosting the finish of the Dun Laoghaire to Cobh Race (formerly known as the Kingstown-to-Queenstown Race) in association with the National Yacht Club,” said the statement.

Johanna Murphy will continue as Commodore of the South Coast Offshore Racing Association. She is also a member of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association’s board and has been appointed to the Cruiser committee of Cove SC.

On my podcast this week I’m joined by Damian Ahern from Cove Sailing Club’s Committee and who is also a member of their Asset Management Team which is overseeing the new marina installation and other projects within the club. We discuss these developments.

• Listen to the Podcast below.

Published in Tom MacSweeney

#WATERFRONT PROPERTY - A beautifully restored period house on 14 acres of Great Island in Co Cork could be a dream home for any big spender.

Accepting offers over €3 million, the house at East Grove believed to date from the early 19th century and is constructed of stone under a slate roof, with attractive shallow gables.

Approached via a long wooded avenue, the house commands a magnificent position overlooking a peaceful inlet of Cork Harbour.

Accommodation comprises five reception rooms, including a drawing room, dining room and library; six bedrooms including a master bedroom with ensuite; and a fully fitted kitchen with black granite countertops and pantry.

Outside there is a courtyard with stables, a work shop and storerooms, as well as a one-bedroom apartment arranged on two floors, while further accommodation is available in the two-bedroom gate lodge with its own gardens.

Other amenities include a delightful walled garden, an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and a boathouse with private harbour and boat slipway with a floating yacht pontoon and moorings.

Viewing of East Grove is strictly by appointment only with joint agents Knight Frank and Dominic Daly. More on the property is available HERE.

Published in Waterfront Property

Crosshaven Volunteer RNLI Lifeboat has had a very busy few days as they were tasked to five incidents in four days.

On Thursday evening at 17.59, the Lifeboat was tasked to the upper reaches of Cork Harbour near the city to check out an unidentifiable object in the water. On arrival, the object was found to be a large bag containing foam. Friday evening, saw the Lifeboat heading up the Owenabue River to rescue two punts which had been floated off on the very high Spring tides and were perceived a danger to shipping.
Saturday evening at 20.34, the Lifeboat was again tasked to the North side of Great Island where a 55' Motor Launch with 3 persons on board had mechanical difficulties and drifting in high winds of force 7. On arrival at scene, the crew decided that because of the size and weight of the vessel and the high winds it was safer to anchor the vessel and take off the crew. They were safely landed at East Ferry Pier. As the Lifeboat was returning to Crosshaven, The Coastguard at Valentia again tasked the Lifeboat to search the area between Cobh and Monkstown for an overdue Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). After searching for a period, and with nothing found, the Coastguard stood down the volunteer Lifeboat crew to return to station.
Sunday afternoon, and the pagers were again activated at 16.33 to go to the aid of a small boat with engine problems at East Ferry. On arrival in the area, it was noticed that the casualty boat had managed to restart and head into East Ferry Marina.

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Water Safety News from Ireland

Marine Casualty Investigation Board News

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

© Afloat 2020